We should encourage better driving AND encourage people to wear seat belts.

Wearing a seat belt is a very easy thing that most passengers and drivers can do to protect themselves should a crash occur. No matter how safely we drive, we can never completely eliminate the risk of an accident, and so it's silly not to take such a basic precaution. It's misleading, of course, to say that Corzine would have escaped serious injury had he been wearing one, but it probably would have helped.

It's really just about getting into the habit of putting one on. I'm young enough that I've always been required to wear one. (Before seat belts became mandatory for adults in 1990, they were required for children.) As a result, when I get into a car, without even thinking about it, I reach for the seat belt.

Back in 1970, the guy who taught me to drive (an amateur instructor) refused to teach me until we had seat belts installed in the car I would learn on -- an old Dodge Polara that didn't come with them. The shoulder belts that he insisted on really raised a lot of eyebrows, but of course, he was right. I did a lot of stupid stuff then and since, but I've never ridden without them.

Evan, not at all accidents are a result of speeding (including this one). Yes, drivers should not excessively speed, but encouraging folks to wear seat belts -- especially with such a well made and effective PSA -- saves lives.

I was in a near fatal car accident in 1997; it was a result of black ice during the Colorado winter, not speeding. My car flew nearly 30 feet down an embankment into a tree. If I wasn't wearing a seat belt, there's no doubt I would have been killed. Speeding had nothing to do with it.

This spot contains the right message delivered in a powerful way. Good for New Jersey.

My parents taught us from a very young age to always wear seat belts. When dad didn't have them on, we'd pester him until he did.

We've done the same thing with Abby. She won't go anywhere unless everyone is buckled. A handful of times I've forgotten to buckle her seat belt when we've gotten into the car - such as when she gets in the car while I'm putting groceries in, but forget to actually buckle her.

As soon as I get in my seat and put on my belt, she says "momma, you forgot my seat belt."

She understands the importance of seat belts, that's for sure. We've had discussions on what could happen if we didn't wear them. She's a bit grown up for her age, so she understands you can go through the windshield, could be ejected and the car roll over on you, etc. She knows that wearing one can be the difference between walking away from a car accident and dying. It's a big reason why she doesn't throw a fit about having to sit in a booster seat when the adults don't have to.

She picks on my husband whenever he doesn't wear one, and won't leave him alone until it's on.

It's very important that we instill this in kids at a young age, because it creates the habit that can last a lifetime.

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One thing to remember about Corzine's crash -- police officers, state troopers, etc. are taught how to drive safely at higher speeds. So him doing that fast isn't the same as the average person driving that fast. Although, I think from now on they're going to be doing a lot closer to the speed limit unless it's an emergency.

Speed is a factor in half of all fatal crashes -- more than any other factor (alcohol is a factor in 40%). Reaction times, braking times, etc. mean that crashes that could be avoided are crashes, and crashes that would be minor become major.

It's a matter of physics.

Some argue (with statistical analysis to back it up) that seat belts don't actually reduce fatalities -- they lead people to act more recklessly to maintain the same level of "acceptable risk."

I wouldn't go that far, but it's clear that the U.S. approach is failing compared to European and Australian approaches, where traffic fatalities have been halved since 1995. Ours have stayed roughly the same.

Fair enough. I completely agree that the governor's vehicle should not have been going that fast; given that they were not in an emergency situation, it was irresponsible to put people's lives at that risk.

Some argue (with statistical analysis to back it up) that seat belts don't actually reduce fatalities -- they lead people to act more recklessly to maintain the same level of "acceptable risk."

I've heard that about technologies that help you maintain control of the vehicle, like anti-lock brakes, but never about seat-belts. It sounds plausible, though.

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